Recalling an Experience

Recalling memories is not always a good thing. Certain memories are better off trying to be forgotten. The night of December 6, 2006, I felt my world come crashing down, and every terrible emotions I had bottled up came storming out. One of my best friends, Dustin Muse, and his little sister, Courtney Muse, were killed in a car accident while heading to their fathers house for a birthday dinner.
Sitting at my computer that evening, chatting with some friends on line, I got a message from a friend that read, “Is this seriously true?” Still not knowing I was confused and never responded. I then received a phone call from one of my other close friends who told me the bad news. Before he finished, the phone had dropped on the floor, and everything went silent. I was in shock, and shut out everything for five minutes. Feeling nothing, I was confused, and had no idea what to do. I was in disbelief and unsure of what to do next. When I told my dad he was at a loss of words for me, which never happens.
I got in my car, and just started driving with tears flooding my face. With no destination in mind, a friend called me, and everyone met up with each other. For the first twenty minutes we were together, you could hear the wind blow, and the bugs buzzing, no one was talking. Finally someone shouted out “Is this real?” and at that point everyone lost it. Sitting there holding friends, crying, at a loss for words to say, I could not take it. I got in my car again, and drove for hours listening to music, thinking about Dustin and our childhood together.
I woke up the next morning, with the hopes it was all a dream until I checked my phone and a friend texted me with a message letting me know we were all meeting at the parking lot at school. I showed up in my pj's and we all sat there for a half an hour. A couple words here and there, but stayed quiet for the most part. We finally go into school, and walking down the hallway felt like a ghost town, there was no noise, no one conversing, and no groups of friends standing around. At that point we did not want to be there anymore, so we decided to take the day off, and spend the day together. Aside from the terrible news, it was one of the greatest days ever. Spending a whole day together with 20 of our closest friends, was much needed.
As much as I dread the day of December 6th coming around each year, some good came out of that date. It brought our whole school and whole community together. I hate how it had to come with such tragedy from one of my best friends, but if anyone could bring everyone together, it would be Dustin. I hope to never have to experience the terrible emotions that came out that evening and never feel my world come crashing down like that again. If I do have to, I hope I can bring out some good like I have with this memory. You'll always be in my heart Dustin and Courtney. Never forgotten.